Aircraft propulsion



Dec, 16, 1924.

E. N. FALEs AIRCRAFT PROPULS ION Filed Jan. 17, 1921 retenue ne ie,1924.

STATES amena' n. rares,

OF DAYTON, OHIO.

' AERCBAFT PROPULSION.

-. Application lec January i7, 1921. Serial No. 438,045.

To all whom it' may concern.

Be it known that l, ELISHA N. FALEs, a

citizen of' the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county oitMontgomery and State of Uhio, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Aircraft Propulsion, ot which the following is aspecification.

'lhis invention relates toaircraft propull@ sion, the object oi' theinvention being to eliminate the ordinary internal combustion orexplosion engine now in common use, and also to eliminate theconventional propeller now in common use in aircraft. By means l5 ot thepresent invention, yan engine ,and propeller may be said to be combinedin such a way that the hot exhaust gases oi the engine cylinders yareused ic-r actuating or driving the propeller, thereby recovering 2@ someof the heat and energy new wasted.

'lhe device embodies propeller blades which may be hollow or havepassageways or pipes leading from the hub to the tips thereoi2 for thepurpose orD conducting gas or vapor trom a hollow propeller shalt to thepropeller tips, the gas under pressure issuing as jets at the propellertips in a direction more or less opposite to the direction oi" movementof the propeller blades. 3@ The reaction orp such iets furnishes therotational iorce for the propeller.

@ne advantage of such a device is that the torque is applied at amaximum leverage, eliminating strain in the propeller due to applicationof torque at the hub. The ap paratus herein fully described `iurrn'rshesmeans for rotating ay propeller -or other machine.

wvl'ith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe novel construction, combination and arrangement herein fullydescribed, Aillustrated and claimed.

lnthe accompanying drawings:

Fig. i is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, oi theimproved device Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view or one ot' thepropeller blades, showing a modified form of passageway for the exhaustgases; "l"

Fig. special form of the device wherein the blade is combinedwith thecylinder of a reciprocating engine. l

Fig. 4- is a similar section showing certain modifications.

Vthe propeller,

y2() on the engine shattflll,

3 is a longitudinal section thru a ln the embodiment of the inventionillus` trated inthe drawings and referring particularly to Figs. 3 and4r, l have shown a combined engine and propeller comprising twocombustion cylinders and two propeller blades, having passagewaystherein to carry od the products ol combustion.

The propeller blades 10 may be ot hollow?.7 formation, as indicated atll; or instead of making each propeller blade hollow, a passageway orpipe 12 may lead thru each blade longitudinally thereof, as indicated inFig.' 2. ln each case there isa jet nozzle l at the discharge end ofthepassageway leading thru the propeller blade, which jet noz zle 'lacesapproximately in a rearward direction, or in a direction contrary tonormal direction of rotation oli the propeller or movement ol thepropeller blade. 'lhe esoapingy gases under pressure thereby react toapply a rotational torce to the propeller.

The combined engine and propeller are mounted upon a tubular shalt lll,having.;1 one or more ports l5 to admit the gas continuously orintermittently, as desired, to the engine cylinders and propellerblades. Illhe hub ci the propeller. is likewise formed with ports 16*for the same purpose.

Referring more particularly to the modilication shown in llig, in whicha duid is conducted into the explosive chamber from a point remote fromthe rotational anis of at the base ot each propeller blade, there is anengine cylinder i? containing a reciprocatory piston i8 from which aconnecting rod i9 leads to a crank said shalt being stationary andnon-rotary. rllhe cylinder 17 forms in eliect the shank of therespective propeller blade 10, which is clearly shown in llgures 3 and4. Under, the arrangement. shown in Fig. 3, there is a cylinder head 2lbetween the cylinder proper and the propeller bla-de, the same beingfitted with one or more exhaust and inlet valves 22 and- 22respectively, which may vbe opened by any suitable mechanism for thatpurpose. The mixture is exploded against the piston 18'and passes by theexhaust valve 22, and through the propeller blade, issuing from the jet13 where it reacts upon the atmosphere to drive the propeller. Under thearrangement shown in Fig. 4, the piston 18 contains an automatic inletvalve 23-in the head thereof while the cylinder head 21 is formed with aport controlled by an automatic inlet valve 24, both of these valvespermitting the fluid to flow fromy the center of the pro ller outwardlybut preventing a flow in t e reverse direction. In place of theautomatic inlet valve 23 or in conjunction, therewith a by-pass 25 maybe provided to permit the fluid to be drawn into the compressionlchamber between the head of the iston 18 and the cylinder head 21 when te piston is in .its 1nnermost position. Under this arrangement thegasolme or'other explosive mixture used is received from the hollowshaft 16, drawn into the compression chamber, between the cylinder headin the piston whenthe piston is movedinwardly. The Huid is thencompressed on the reverse motion of the piston and-when a suicientpressure has been obtained in the compression chamber the automa-ticinlet valve 24 is opened and the fluid '1s permitted to flow into theexpansion .chamber where it'is then ignited by means of aspark plug 27which m-ay be fired continuously or intermittently as may be desired.The combustion of the fluid in this expansion chamber produces aconsiderable pressure therein andthe exhaust and burnt gases are forcedout of the outlet nozzle 13 to thereby rotate the propeller by means ofthe jet action produced, and the consequent reaction on the atmosphere.

Where the pipe 12 is employed, it may be formed so as forAthe blade, inwhich case saidpipe may have its walls of greater cross-sectional areaadjacent to the hub than at the tip of the propeller thereby providingfor centrifu al strains. The valves may be operated y any suitablemechanical means as by a cam or crank or other suitable device, .or themayv be electrically operated or automatlcally operated by pressuredifferences on opsite sides thereof. The spark plugs may located in theex losion chamber or directly adjacent to or 1nl the jet nozzle.Electrical connections for the plugs or valves may embody 4the usualmeans, such as ring and brush controls.

I do `not desire to be limited to the` exact arrangement hereinv shownand described, as it will be apparent that the device is susceptible ofm-any changes in the form, preparation and minor details of constructionwhich may accordingly be resorted to without departing from theprinciple or sacrificing andyl of the advantages of the invention'.

Iclaim: 1. In aircraft propulsion, an `internal to constitute are-enforcementshaft,

ypistons mounted to reci inders and connected with said crankshaft, andpropeller blades extendingfrom said combustion engine embodying an enine shaft, 'and a plurality of cylinders w ich shaft, and a plurality ofcylinders which radiate from and revolve around said shaft, pistons forcompressing the gases mounted to reciprocate in said cylinders andconnected with said crankshaft and propeller blades extending from saidcylinders and havingpassageways for the gases from the cylinders, saidpassageways terminating in outlets which discharge in a directioncontrary to the direction of movement -of the propeller blades and meansfor igniting said gases in said passageways so that the propeller isrotated by the reaction of Said gases on the atmosphere.

3. In aircraft combustion engine emb shaft, and a plurality of diatefrom and revolve around said shaft, pistons for compressing gasesmounted to reciprocate in said cylinders and connected odymg an enginecylinders which rapropulsion, an internal with said crankshaf andpropeller blades extending from said cylinders, and having expansionchambers with outlets adjacent to the propeller blade tips dischargingcontrary to the movement of said blades-and means for igniting saidcompressed gasesin said passageways, rotated by the reaction of gases onthe atmosphere.

4. In aircraft propulsion, an internal combustion engine embodying an enine and a plurality of cylinders w ich radiate from and revolve aroundsaid shaft,

rocate in said cylsaid compressed cylinders, and having valve-controlledexpansion chambers with outlets adjacent to the propeller tips whichdischarge in a d1- rection contrary to the direction of movement of thepropeller blades,` sald pistons operating to compress the gases so thatthe'- propeller is rotated by the reaction of said compressed gases onthe atmosphere.

Inl testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature.

ELISHA N. FALES.

so l that the propeller isv

